Slapbox With Jesus, Lick Shots At Joseph

{+} In the type of news that is not really news—not even to the fruit flies that read the masterful strokes of insight put forth on these XXLMAG.com virtual pages—the “artist” formerly known and Lil’ Bow Wow, is engaged in a war of snide comments and subliminals with the trust fund recipient formerly known as Lil’ Romeo, son of Master “Ugh!” P. Because you’ve all asked and have no doubt been fervently awaiting my opinion, I will share it with you:

Bow Wow really needs shut the cuff up. Anyone with two ears can tell T.I. wrote “Fresh Azimiz,” hook, lines and sinkers. (If I wanted to hear ghostwritten battles, I’d listen to Lil’ Kim got at Foxy Brown.) Besides, these rap nickels get real sensitive about their sons and Mr. Dances With Stars has enough bank to make you disappear from eight states away. Act like you know, li’l doggie.

The fact that I’m actually interested in this dialogue scares me to no small end. But, I must warn you, following links of nerds talking about other nerds is akin to recording Paris Hilton talking about herself in the third person while she reads about her latest escapades on Page Six as a televsion plays footage of her posing for pictures on a red carpet. Such things can cause the universe to implode.

Or even the second coming. Of Barney.

{+} Just to be clear: One sentence from Jeff Chang > 5,000 comments from you fruit flies.

{+} I really don’t get what all the Lupe fiasco is about. It’s been fascinating to watch him grow as an emcee while tried to figure out who he is, or more applicably, whom he wants to present himself to be to the public. (And you know I’m being serious because I used “whom.”)

Right now, I think Lupe’s a B+ rapper, at best. He’s adept at timing a rhyme, silly with that word construction/syllable emphasis/re-appropriated pronunciation thing that Black Thought doesn’t get enough credit for making popular and chuckle-nice with similes/metaphors. (I mean, dude once said something about hitting a track like John Henry, which pretty much sums it all up.) Moreover, “Kick, Push” showed that he has what it takes to follow an idea for 48 bars. But after about three (or five, or six—who’s counting?) mixtapes, I’m not seeing the second coming of Nas or whatever he’s supposed to be. From what I’ve been able to glean from the Fahrenheit installments, he’s blessed with the raw materials—honest insight, under explored points of view, creative exuberance—need to make a timeless LP. But, I doubt that this unfinished leak—which I still haven’t heard—is it. There seems to be a tendency amongst youth and internetters to champion potential, herald possibility and celebrate expectation—even when the finish product falls short of your unattainable dreams. (Which it almost invariably, undoubtedly will.)

None of this is to say that Lupe’s making trash. It doesn’t have to be feast or famine. When you fruit flies erode the vastness that is the middle ground by declaring unworthy records to be classics, or dismissing otherwise passable efforts as wack, you’re being worse than the nameless, faceless industry you purport to hate. An album doesn’t have to change your life to be valid. If it helps get you through your day, that should be enough.

{+} Take the latest album from Lord “Da Lux” Jamar. I’ve found myself enjoying it, even with the “for press use only” vocal watermark on it.(a) It’s not going to “bring knowledge back” or what have you. But for the hour or so that it’s in rotation, and the few moments afterwards, it makes me feel that there is still intelligent life in hip-hop that appreciates tradition without being held down by it; that respects the past and accepts the present. Plus it has a joint with featuring the seeds of GZA, ODB and Da Lux, which doesn’t suck. What more can you ask for?

{+} One thing no one notes about mixtape artists: It’s much easier to jump on that already certified banger, jack a flow and remix a concept than it is to meet that virgin instrumental and impregnate it with your own blueprint. Especially when you’re not sure if that banger is actually a banger. (Won’t even get into the pressures of recouping, satisfying the preferences of numerous company men demanding a return on their investment, the temptations of catering to radio, etc.)

Li’l mama super thick, she say she twenty-two. . .

{+} It only took Rick Ross one verse to catch my attention. He has that Young Jeezy appeal, and people who use words like lyrical will note that Ross is not, well, lyrical. If you can overlook such things, whip it, whip it real hard to the Afrikan gentlemen in your neighborhood for M.I.Yayo. Or support Southern drug cartels.

{+} It pains me to end that no one is acknowledging that Slick Rick the Ruler is undoubtedly, unequivocally, undeniably the greatest rapper of all time. I am hurt, stunned, astounded amazed and dazed and confused. Go kill yourselves.

All of you cock-pullers are frontin’. . .

{+} Not that I feel the need to validate myself in front of any of you fruit flies, but it should be noted that all of my opinions are borne of my own personally bias, drug-razed memory and the limited amounts of time between downloading porn that I allow myself to write these posts. . . thereby making them authoritatively definitive and more informed than anything any 20 of you can come up with. Accept this and the rest of your miserable existence may be considerably less painful than what it is now.

At any rate, it’s semi because Dave basically dances around saying that he bugged out, was over his head and needs therapy (or Barney) in his life. But it’s fascinating because over the course of nine days (split between Hollywood and Ohio), Dave proves that he really has no idea where he’s going or what he’s doing. I think it’s fine that he’s still working it all out, but seriously, dude needs to lay low until he can get a beat on.

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Thanks for insulting us readers who post comments, calling us fruit flies. You sound like a really tough guy. What’s your adress? We should hang out.

By the way, has XXL been banned from use of the word nigga? Come on, don’t cave in to corporations. Don’t sugar coat.

http://rockthedub.blogspot.com khal

Word. Been waiting for a new piece from kris ex. Loving this one…loads of nuggets. Didn’t know Hoopz got down like that lol…

I have heard some leaked copies of Pearly Gates that has P’s rhymes backwards? The older ones didn’t, but this newer one does… I wonder if that’s how it’s going to be on the retail?

Roc the Trashman

P’s verse on that Pearly Gates is completely wwashed down on the retail so someone cared.

http://conniesbitch.org connie’s bitch

“{+} If a woman says, “I don’t think we should be doing this anymore,” she really just wants you to ask her nicely. Take it for checking.”

yo.

Stinger Bell

Slick Rick is the Rodney Dangerfield of Hip-Hop…

GOD

you ain’t fruit, you are shit. i’m gonna find some fruit now.

http://myblogwillsoonbebetterthanyours.blogspot.com/ Will Dukes

Where are you getting these customized blog pics from?

50 Cent

Kris Ex, your a homo. You can continue fucking your gay lover now.

http://www.melatonemusic.com r

dr ex –

i lost you on “silly with that word construction/syllable emphasis/re-appropriated pronunciation thing.”

can you eleborate?

http://governmentnames.blogspot.com/ Al

I’ve only ever heard of T.I. ghostwriting for Bow Wow circa Unleashed, which was kinda before he was famous in his own right, and I always figured he stopped ghostwriting after he blew up, like Jay did more or less. So I’m real skeptical of the idea that he wrote “Fresh Azimiz,” doesn’t really even sound like his style to me.

bhillboy

i wish mufuckas would stop comparin mufuckas who don’t have an album out with greats like tupac who has more albums out dead than lupe will ever get living. pac barely has 5 shitty songs ever and lupe hasn’t even put out a b-side to his okay single. cut the games.